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1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present invention relates to wireline operations in the recovery of oil and gas. More particularly, the present invention relates to a protective liner in a wireline sub assembly system for eliminating excessive wear on the interior wall of the assembly portion or a saver sub portion of the assembly.
2. General Background of the Invention
In conducting wireline operations, many types of tools are positioned on the lower end of a wireline, which is a steel cable or the like, lowered into the well bore in order to undertake certain tests downhole. Because in the past there has been difficulties in undertaking wireline work with the potential hazard of blowouts in the well, there has been developed and patented by the present inventor, a side entry sub assembly which is patented under U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,162 and reissued under U.S. Pat. No. RE 33,150. This patented device, which is placed below the top drive on the rig floor, includes a side entry portion which enables the wireline to extend through the side entry passage and into the main passage and downward into the drill string. One of the problems that has been confronted with using the entry assembly by itself is that as the wireline extends down through the angulated passage in the tool, at the point that it exits the bottom of the wireline assembly into the borehole, it tends to make contact with the inner wall of the assembly. As the wireline is moved up and down through the borehole, it would literally wear or cut into the wall. Therefore, as part of the patented combination, the wireline assembly includes a lower sub having a male end portion, which is threadable into the lower end of the wireline assembly, so that the wireline makes contact with the upper end of the sub, and if any damage to the interior is done, it is done to the interior wall of the sub, a product which is inexpensive and can be replaced quite easily.
However, over the years, the side entry sub assembly has experienced problems with excessive wireline wear in the lower end of the side entry tool and the saver sub. Therefore, the applicant has devised a system whereby the side entry tool itself and the saver sub can be fabricated or modified in order to avoid excessive wireline wear on the assembly and the sub which would result in savings by eliminating damage to the tool body and by eliminating the need for the replacement of subs on a regular basis.
The apparatus of the present invention solves the problems in a simple and straightforward manner. What is provided is a side entry tool having a lower end portion for receiving a saver sub thereon. There is further provided a sleeve portion positioned in the lower end of the side entry tool having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the tool body; the sleeve would have undergone heat treatment to a certain rockwell hardness. Because of the smaller diameter of the sleeve, any contact of the wireline with the tool body would make contact with the hardened sleeve, which could take the contact without a groove or cut being formed in the sleeve. The sleeve would be held in place with a set screw at its lower end to prevent it from rotating. In the event the sleeve indicates wireline wear, the set screw would be loosened and the sleeve would be rotated so that the wireline would make contact with a non-affected portion of the sleeve. Additionally, a sleeve could be pressed into the interior wall of the saver sub, to a certain rockwell hardness, so that the saver sub would likewise have the ability to take excessive wireline wear without having to be replaced on a regular basis.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a system for protecting the interior passage of the side entry tool by providing a surface on a portion of the interior passage that can receive excessive wireline wear without cutting into the surface;
It is a further object of the present invention to adapt existing side entry tools with a rockwell hardened sleeve on the lower end of the tool, the sleeve being of such a diameter so that any contact of the wireline with the tool would make contact with the hardened sleeve which could receive excessive wear without cutting;
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a side entry tool system which may include a saver sub having a rockwell hardened sleeve pressed into the interior passage of the sub so that wireline wear on the sub would be borne by the hardened sleeve and would reduce the excessive wear on the sub eliminating regular replacement of the sub in the system;
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a side entry tool wherein a hardened sleeve which has been provided in the lower portion of the tool has the ability to be rotated within the tool so as to allow wear to occur along different points of the sleeve.